Hummingbirds at Home

A free mobile app is the cornerstone of a National Audubon Society citizen science program to collect data about hummingbird migration.

As the climate changes and temperatures warm, some flowers are blooming as early as 17 days before migrating hummingbirds arrive. The impact for migrating and breeding hummingbirds is unknown.

To study the question, the National Audubon Society (NAS) is launching a new citizen science project, Hummingbirds at Home.

Your family can be part of this effort to document hummingbird sightings across the country in spring, sending observations to NAS from a mobile app created for Hummingbirds at Home or from your computer. The free app also will help you identify bird species and the plants that feed them.

You can participate in Hummingbirds at Home as it fits your schedule, watching hummingbirds once or over several weekends.

Hummingbirds at Home is the newest in a calendar of NAS citizen science projects that also includes the Christmas Bird Count and the Great Backyard Bird Count.

“Every year, many hummingbird species make a remarkable journey north during springtime,” said Dr. Gary Langham, Chief Scientist for Audubon, “but will their arrival time be in sync with the blossoms?”

Data from Hummingbirds at Home will help Audubon focus its conservation efforts where birds are most affected. “This is a fun, family-friendly citizen science project that works in the classroom or in the kitchen,” Dr. Langham said.